The Life of the Less Fortunate
by SurrieTheYaoiQueen
Summary: After a bad break-up with Ashelin, Torn finds himself at the Naughty ottsel drowning himself in alcohol. The reason for the break-up was that Torn wouldn't tell Ashelin about his horrible past. But when a certain blonde hero gets a little too curious about Torn's past, the commander is forced to tell his sad story. WARNING INSIDE. MATURE CONTENT. This is a two-shot. Torn-centric.


Surrie: HI GUYS! I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything in a while.

Torn: Ugh…I was enjoying my vacation.

Surrie: Me too. I'm still not inspired enough for the next chapter for "The darkness inside me", BUT I managed to create this thing here!

Torn: Oh joy…

Surrie:…can you shut up please?

Torn: NO! I will not shut up! Especially when you wrote something like THIS!

Surrie: Ignoring what Torn whines about; let me tell you guys about this little idea. So I hate the fact that Naughty Dog will NOT be doing any more Jak games-

Audience: BOOOOOOOOOO!

Surrie: Yeah I know….and there is so much they could've done with the franchise. Jak could've had to go and find the next sages, or maybe the precursors call Jak and the ENTIRE gang to another world to save them, OR MAYBE THEY CAN FUCKING MAKE AN ENTIRE GAME DEDICATED TO TORN! I MEAN COME ON! HE'S THE MOST MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER AND HE'S SUCH A BADASS! HAVING A GAME WITH HIM AS THE PLAYABLE CHARACTER WOULD BE-

Audience:…..(crickets)

Surrie:…ahem…never mind. Anyways, I decided that since we have no idea what Torn's life was life before the guard, or what led him to the guard in the first place, I thought that I would write a fic that showed just that. Now, I've read other fanfictions about Torn's life before the guard and….well…he has a good childhood in most of them. I just can't see him like that. I mean, come on, the guy just screams "terrible past"! So, here's what I think his life was like.

**WARNING: Even though I tried to censor it as much as I could, this fanfiction will contain very dark and graphic stuff including RAPE, PEDOPHILIA, PROSTITUTION, DRUGS, VIOLENCE, CURSING, DEATH, MURDER, and ALL AROUND DEPRESSING SHIT! So if you are offended by any of this stuff at all, LEAVE THE FANFICTION! Seriously…click the little back button at the top left of your screen.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything involving Jak and Daxter….or Torn…but I do own my OCs.**

**I would also like to take a moment to say that I DO NOT condone rape in any way. This fic isn't supposed to be "sexy"…it's a serious depiction of what I think happened to Torn before Jak and Daxter came.**

* * *

"_**Did you hear the commander's orders today? Geez…he's such a prick!"**_

"_**Can't he be a little nicer to us?"**_

"_**Maybe if someone takes that giant stick out of his ass, he could loosen up and not be so grouchy all the time."**_

_I'm no stranger to these types of comments. In my many years of service, I've always been told how stiff and cold I can be._

"_**Torn, lighten up on the troops. Don't you think you're being a bit unappreciative? They do risk their lives doing YOUR bidding after all."**_

_I'm especially not a stranger to her comments. _

"_**Why are you so negative? You should look at the brighter side of things."**_

"_**Why are you so cold to me?! Is this how you treat the woman you love?!"**_

_I can't stand her anymore; that's why I dumped her. Ashelin and I are officially broken up. I was sick of the way she always looked down on me and criticized me for not being as easy-going and happy as she is. Don't get me wrong, Ashelin has been my best friend since I first joined the guard. She's loyal and has always stayed by my side even when it meant going against her father. I couldn't have asked for a better friend, but she is not my ideal choice for a girlfriend._

_No matter what we do, Ashelin puts her own feelings and opinions above mine. We always do what she wants to do. And if I'm too tired to pay attention to her, she screams at me and scolds me for not being a good boyfriend. I was able to deal with the bitching and complaining; I was also willing to overlook her obsession with changing the little things about myself that she didn't like. I suppose the last straw was when she went digging through my personal items and found an old picture of my family…the only one in existence. _

_Did she really not expect me to get upset?_

_The fight we had that day was a bad one. She continued to pry and accuse me of keeping secrets from her because I refused to tell her anything. I lost my temper and told her that it's not any of her damn business and she should stop sticking her nose into my private life. Then she started crying, calling me horrible, and jumping to the conclusion that I hated her and I was just ashamed to show her to my family. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that I had my reasons for keeping secrets, but I couldn't. There's a reason why I'm keeping my past a secret from Ashelin. To top it off, after she was done crying, she had the nerve to tell me that I'm cold to everyone for no reason and I'm a "sadistic bastard who gets off on rejecting the people who love me". _

_Those are her words exactly._

_I have a damn good reason for being the way I am. She would never understand the pain and torment I've been through that made me this way. In the past, Haven city was worse off than she thought it was. She looked down from that palace and only saw the layout of the districts…not what went on in the streets. I knew all too well what kind of place Haven really was. Let's just say that when it comes to "sob stories", Jak's got some real competition with mine. Even though he was a foster child who spent two years tortured in prison, I still had it worse. He'd agree with me on this too…since now, he and the rat are the only ones besides me who know what happened in my past._

_It started a couple days ago…_

* * *

Torn sat in a booth at the Naughty Ottsel with a large mug of an unknown liquor inches away from his reach. He stared into the golden liquid, seeing his reflection amidst the small white bubbles and swirling foam. The face that stared back at him always made him violent; it was a constant reminder of a past he longed to forget. The eyes that now looked at people with anger and coldness once were filled with many emotions. In fact, his eyes were once always filled with sadness, pain, love, and happiness. But now, those eyes were cold and lifeless due to a series of unfortunate events. Torn began to wonder at what time in his life did his eyes become dead. When did he first start hiding his emotions? Was it when-

"Damn it! I'm so sick of her!"

The musings of our dear commander were suddenly cut off; courtesy of the blonde hero's voice ripping through his eardrums. Jak stomped right up to the bar where Daxter was and proceeded to complain to the rodent about how Keira wanted him to spend more time with her instead of going on missions. Torn rolled his eyes and groaned in his head, _"That's what you do when you're in a relationship dumbass. You spend time with your partner. It's not like she's being unreasonable like…Ashelin." _Torn took a large gulp of his drink and tried to drown out what the "dynamic duo" was saying. Jak rubbed his temples and groaned, "She's getting really needy lately, Dax. No matter what I say to her, she always complains about how much of a jerk I am and how selfish I am." The orange rat shrugged his furry shoulders, "Can't really help ya there buddy. Tess is the sweetest thing ever! She never complains and always has a smile on her face. Hey! Maybe ol' dreadlocks over there can help ya. I'll bet Ashelin's a bit overbearing, right tat-boy?"

Torn raised an eyebrow and reluctantly turned his attention to the rat standing on the counter. He rolled his eyes and replied, "In case you haven't heard, according to Ashelin, I'm an ice-hearted asshole who just can't be happy. I really don't think I'll be of any help to Jak, especially since there is no relationship between me and Ash anymore." Jak's eyes narrowed in confusion as he asked, "Wait, you guys broke up? Why? What happened?" Torn set his mug down on the table before glaring at Jak and snapping, "It's really none of your business," he relaxed a little after seeing Jak tense slightly. He didn't mean to snap like that, especially not at Jak. Torn apologized and sighed, "Sorry, but if you must know…I broke it off a couple days ago. I just couldn't stand her whining anymore." Daxter's jaws dropped and he piped, "Whoa, wait a minute! YOU broke up with HER?! WHY?! Do you not see her rack?! What guy in their right mind would dump a hot piece of ass like Ashelin?!"

The twitch at the corner of Torn's eye gave away his annoyance, "This guy, that's who." Jak walked over to the booth where Torn sat and scratched his head, "What the hell did she do to make you so pissed at her?" Torn felt like he needed to vent to someone, so he reluctantly answered the blonde hero, "She was trying to get me to tell her about my life before I was a guard." Jak raised a green brow and wondered aloud, "That's it? Why didn't you just tell her?" Torn rubbed his temples to will away a quickly-forming migraine and explained, "I didn't tell her because not only is it MY business, but it also isn't a pleasant story to recall. However, she just wouldn't take no for an answer. She started screaming and insulting me, so I kindly told her to fuck off."

Jak crossed his arms, "Are you serious? That doesn't make any sense; Ashelin wouldn't get mad over something as stupid as that." Torn laughed dryly and picked up his unfinished drink. He sat back in the booth and swirled the liquid nonchalantly with a finger, "You really think so?" He stared at Jak with an amused smirk on his face and questioned," How do you figure?" Jak shrugged and responded, "Well, Ashelin really loves you, and she thinks you love her so…why would you break up just because of that?" Torn's smirk fell and he looked away, "It wasn't just that. Ashelin always tried to mold me into something I'm not. She's tried to change my opinions and the things I like to fit her ideals. Not only that, but she's the most nosy woman I've ever met. For the past week she's had this obsession with finding out every last detail of my private life and history. I didn't want to tell her because…I didn't want to lose her as a friend when she finds out how disgusting I am."

With a confused look on his face, Jak furrowed his brows in concern and asked, "What are you talking about? Ashelin wouldn't ditch you because of something that happened in your past." Torn shook his head, "You don't know Ashelin like I do. She's as two-faced as a politician running for high council. She's all buddy-buddy with you until she gets some dirt on you, then she'll hold it over your head for the rest of your life. She's extremely judgmental and can't keep her mouth shut when she finds out a secret. She will find and use the tiniest piece of shit on your squeaky clean record and use it to tear you down. And just so you know, I've got a fucking sewer of a past following me around."

Jak took this opportunity to sit in the booth opposite from Torn. He looked at him expectantly…staring until Torn finally growled, "What?"

"Tell me." Jak narrowed his eyes slightly, "Tell me what's so bad that you ruined your relationship to hide it." Torn frowned and looked away, "Yeah, Like I'll actually tell you." Jak leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table, "What's wrong with telling me? It's not like you've gone through anything worse than I have." As soon as the words left Jak's mouth, he wished he could take them back; because, the look on Torn's face told him that he was dead wrong. Torn inhaled loudly and snarled, "You want to know? Fine, I'll tell you. Every word I'm about to say to you is completely true, so listen up. When I'm done, you can tell me if you think Ashelin would be disgusted or not." The commander took another huge gulp of his drink and cleared his throat before he began…

* * *

_ One of the first memories I had, was my mother packing a suitcase. I was nine at the time and living in the slums with my family. We were a family of five consisting of my father, Nyx, my mother (can't really remember her name), my older brother, Rave, and my twin brother, Anko. It was a hard life, the economy was shitty and we were struggling for money. My parents married young, due to my older brother's unplanned arrival, and Anko and I were just another inconvenience, according to my mother._

_The day that she left, I remember that Rave cradled Anko and me against his chest and cried softly as my father begged my mother to stay. I was too young to understand why she wanted to leave so badly, but I later found out that it was because of my father's race. I'm Icelandic, and during the time I grew up the Icelanders were seen as a minority in Haven. My father came here with his family when he was a child, and he spent his life hiding his ancestry from everyone…including my mother. _

_Icelanders, at the time, were treated very poorly; they rarely got jobs and were usually pushed into the slums. My father recently got fired from his job because a Havenite applied at his place of work, and there weren't any openings. Of course, the company would rather have a Havenite working there instead of a "filthy" Icelander. Long story short, they fired my father and hired the havenite worker. Mother found out that my father had lied about his race and couldn't stand the thought of being married to a minority. In short, she left that day…taking Anko with her. I'm not sure if you know this, but when twins are separated, it is a traumatic experience for both. Losing a twin is almost like losing half of a body. I could do nothing at the time but cry. Father held me and Rave close and told us it would be alright, but he was wrong._

_ My father couldn't find a job, due to no one hiring minorities, so he spent his days begging on the streets for single orbs. After a few months, he became deathly ill. My older brother, being only thirteen at the time, had to work "under the table" at low-class restaurants for spare change. Any money he earned went towards my father's medicine, so we went without meals quite often. I was lucky if I got fed at least once each day; I guess that's why I'm so damn skinny today. At the age of only nine, I learned how to cook, clean, and take care of the sick. _

_It didn't take long for my father to die. _

_ Eventually, the landlord of our small apartment kicked me and my brother out for missed payments. With no money, and nowhere to go, my brother took us to our Uncle's house in dead town. He allowed us to stay there as long as my brother continued to work and I did all the cleaning around the house. Rave couldn't see what that perverse bastard's true intentions were at the time. When my brother went to work during the day, Uncle would get drunk and force me to sit on his lap. He would touch me in places that should never be touched, and slurred filthy perversions in my ear. The first time, I struggled and cried loudly. He grabbed me by the throat and told me that if I resisted him, he would kill my brother._

_What could I do? I'll ask you this…What could I do?!_

_ I was a nine year old orphan without a hope of surviving. The only thing I had left in my life was my brother. And so, with a heavy heart, I kept quiet…and let him rape me. After he was done, He shoved me off his lap and barked at me to "clean my filthy body and get dressed". _

_I had never felt so dirty in my life. No matter how many showers I took…or how hot the water was…I couldn't wash his touch off of my body._

_ For the next five years, my routine went on like this. I was violated by my "Uncle" almost every day without my brother knowing. There was never any change, until Rave came home early one day and witnessed me doing things with Uncle. I had never seen Rave that enraged before. He screamed at Uncle and pulled me away from him. Rave wanted to leave, but when he started pushing me towards the door Uncle roared in anger and lunged at him. Rave turned and jumped at Uncle with his curved dagger ready to strike, but it never made its mark. _

_Uncle had a gun._

* * *

Torn gulped down the last few sips of his drink before returning his gaze to the shocked duo. Daxter was looking away uncomfortable and Jak's expression was…unreadable. Jak looked down and said, "I-I don't believe it…how do you keep so calm and sane after all those things that happened? I thought you would've definitely been in an asylum by now." Torn shrugged, "Honestly, I wonder the same things myself. I know some people who were raped like I was, and they never recovered. However, I also met a few like me who overcame their trauma and now live normal lives. I guess it just depends on how strong you are."

After taking a gulp of his own drink, Jak added, "True and I guess it's understandable that you were able to pick yourself up and dust yourself off right? You're a pretty tough guy after all. But anyway, what happened next?" Torn sighed and crossed his arms, sitting back in the booth, and said, "Well, It's pretty obvious what happened next. Once again, I had to bury yet another family member. Are you sure you want me to continue? I'm warning you…it only gets worse from now on." Torn looked sincerely at Jak, waiting for his answer, but it was the rat who spoke up, "YES!" Torn's eyes widened very slightly and he raised a hairless brow at the rat, who was now looking at him through watery eyes.

Daxter stared right at Torn and whispered," I-I'm sorry…I-I really don't know what to say. I-I'm sorry that…something so…_horrible_…happened to you. I-I never said anything to hurt or offend you during our arguments…did I? Daxter hung his head, unable to finish his sentence or maintain eye contact with the man who he always thought of as a friend deep down. Torn let out a sigh and reached towards the orange rodent, placing a rough hand on the small head, "Don't feel sorry for me, rodent. If I wanted pity for my tale, I would've gone to one of the girls. Besides, if you've ever said something that really hurt me during our banters, I would've skinned your furry ass before you could even finish your sentence." The trademark smirk worked its way on Torn's mouth and Daxter lifted his head, smiling softly. Jak coughed and smiled at Torn as well, "Not that I want to break up this heartwarming moment but…I'd really like to hear the rest of your story. I don't know anything about you, and this is an opportunity I'll never get again. Besides…it's getting really late and I want to hear at least half of the story before I pass out."

Torn crossed his arms again and shook his head in slight disbelief, "You really care that much huh? Aint that a change. Well then, Daxter, How about you get us some more drinks? Trust me; you'll need them for this next part."

* * *

_My brother's grave was placed next to my father's in dead town. Since they were Icelandic, there was no monk to say a prayer over their deceased souls. This also meant that there was no record of their deaths or justice done upon my murderous "Uncle". No one cared that my "Uncle" murdered Rave, so I figured that they wouldn't care if I murdered him. _

_The day after my brother's funeral, I enticed "Uncle" to go to bed with me. Knowing I was too weak to try and overpower him, I tricked him into letting his guard down. With extreme caution, I hid my brother's dagger under the edge of "Uncle's" bed before bringing him into the room to seduce him. I knew he was too dumb to resist my advances. He should've had enough sense to realize that I would never willingly go to bed with him after he's tormented me and killed my dear sibling._

_I stripped and climbed on top of him, using my body as a distraction from the knife I had hidden in the bed. As he lost himself in carnal, disgusting pleasure, I took that chance to finally avenge my brother. "Uncle" was so blinded by his perverse lust, that he never noticed me reach for the dagger and raise it above my head. He opened his eyes at the last moment, and I could see the shock and fear in them for that split second…before I plunged the crescent blade straight into his black heart._

_I heard the small cry that left his mouth when his heart was pierced, and it warmed me to the core. I couldn't stop myself there, so I continued stabbing the corpse of the man who haunted me and stole my family from me. I can't remember much of what happened, but as soon as I pulled myself from the daze, I saw that I was covered in his blood, and his body was completely unrecognizable. _

_I never felt happier in my life then I did at that moment._

_I remember the emptiness I felt in my body that stayed from that point until now. I showered, dressed, grabbed what little items I possessed, and walked out of that hell-hole. _

_I never looked back._

* * *

Torn held out the dagger that always decorated his back and set it on the table, "This is my brother's dagger. It's the same weapon that I used to kill "Uncle". I've carried it with me throughout my whole life, and it's a constant reminder of my mistakes." Jak swirled his drink with a finger and gazed at the shimmering weapon, "But, why do you keep it? If it is just a reminder of the terrible things that happened to you…why do you hold onto it?"

Torn picked up the blade and held it in his hands. He stared at his reflection in the silver metal and replied, "So it will remind me of what I overcame, and also to never make the same bad decisions again." Torn re-sheathed the weapon and leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table and resting his cheek on his right palm, "I still don't know which would've been worse. Whether I stayed with "Uncle", or killed him and left, I still don't know which path I should've taken." The rat piped up, "Well OBVIOUSLY you did the right thing! I mean, you were free right? If you didn't kill that monster then you'd still be there with him!"

With a small grunt of agreement, Torn mused, "Yeah…and I guess if I didn't kill him, I wouldn't have met you guys and the world would've gone to shit." Jak nodded in agreement, "Totally! I may be the hero Torn, but you were still a really big part of saving the world. Without you, I would've never found my friends and I probably would've done something stupid like try to break into the palace and attack the baron without a plan." Torn gave a small laugh that actually wasn't faked, "Yeah, thank God that didn't happen. You would've gone in there without a gun or any sort of weapon training. He probably would've killed you in two minutes." Jak pouted a little, "Hey! Give me some credit. I would've lasted at least ten minutes." Torn laughed a little louder and held up his hands, "Alright then, ten minutes it is. Anyway, moving on with my story…"

* * *

_I remember walking in the slums late at night. It was raining pretty hard at the time, and I had nowhere to go. I couldn't stay at that monster's place a minute longer, so I opted for sleeping on the streets. I curled up in a filthy alleyway in the red light district of the slums. We don't have that part of the city anymore, since the racism laws were repealed. People have been able to get jobs and we have homeless shelters for those who can't. We may still have brothels, but they are clean and treat their employees well. What I'm talking about is the street prostitution. During the time of Damas's rule, the council refused to do anything to help the immigrants who were refused noble jobs. Most of them lived lives of crime, and the rest became street whores. I sat there in that alley watching men and women dressed in little to no clothing prance around yakows in a slaughterhouse. There were children younger than me who were sold by their parents to old men for the night. I watched one woman lying on the ground, after a man used her, with a check stuck to her face by…something. I remember dreading that this…was more than likely my fate. As I watched prostitutes lure zoomers out of traffic, I felt a hand on my shoulder._

"_Hey, you're something I haven't seen before. What's your name cutie?" _

_I turned to look up at a chubby old man with a bald head and dark purple beard. I remember the way his eyes scanned me over as if I were naked. I stood up and shoved the fat man's hand off my shoulder, yelling at him to "fuck off". He just grabbed my arm and cooed, "Hey now, that's not a very nice way to treat a customer. Tell me sweetie, how much for a round?" I wanted to kick him in his balls and cuss him out, but when he pulled out over sixty orbs I couldn't help but think for a minute about my situation. I was a fourteen-year old __**Icelandic**__ with no parents, no home, and no chance of living. I was already defiled multiple times, and I had nothing left to lose. To top it off, I was wet, cold, and hungry; sixty orbs could at least get me some decent food and maybe a bed for the night. So, without much thinking, I took the money and started the next phase of my life…as a prostitute._

_For four years I worked on the streets as a hooker. I became pretty good at my craft too. There was a very nice woman named Comet who gave me tips to get more customers. To this day, I can still see her face. She had long, curly, red hair and big brown eyes that always shone with life. _

_She became the mother I never had._

_When I first started, Comet would refer me to her customers and even gave me some of her earnings when one of my customers ran off without paying. Eventually, I earned enough money to support myself and started working the streets like a pro. I shopped for revealing clothes, got a few piercings, and even bought necessities like condoms and lubricant. Over the years I got a few regular customers and started living at a cheap apartment that was literally nothing but a bed and bathroom. I was too skinny to attract many women, so most of my customers were men. The few women I slept with were sadistic bitches who hated men. They would insult me and beat the crap out of me before having their way with me. That was one of the reasons why I never had sex with Ashelin. _

_I started to despise sex…there was no pleasure in it to me._

_The more I gave my body away, the more I felt myself turning into a puppet. All of my pride and self-respect became non-existing. I was unable to show emotions without faking them. I had no shame whatsoever and I was particularly good at faking pleasure. Every time I moaned out in false lust, a part of me died until there was nothing left but an empty husk._

_Prostitution was not all I did either. During the day, I worked for a drug dealer who had me make drop-offs and pick-ups. It was a dangerous job and I risked my life doing it every day. I even had to kill a few people who tried to kill me and take the goods without paying. One day, the dealer couldn't pay me in cash, so he gave me some cigarettes packed with grey eco. In case you don't know, grey eco is an illegal eco that scientists created in form of a medicine. However, the medicine soon became a drug and people became highly addicted to it. The eco makes the person who smokes it feel happy and like the whole world id in their hands. However, the reality is that once the effects fade, you feel lower than shit and you do anything to get that happiness back. At first, I didn't take them, but as soon as he made me try one…I became hooked. The drugs made me feel free. I felt like I was far away from the city and everything was alright._

_So from then on, I got my pay from the dealer in drugs and lived on my whore money. The drugs are the reason why my voice is so fucked up._

_When I turned 18 I delivered a pack of drugs to someone at the port. Before I could make the drop, I was busted by a pack of KGs. They tried to arrest me and I ran from them; however, I didn't get that far away before they caught up with me and shot me with a taser. I fell to the ground, but I blacked out right before my head hit the metallic ground._

_When I woke up, I was laying on a cot in a filthy prison cell. Groans of pain echoed around me and I witnessed the prisoner in the cell across from mine being punished. He screamed in agony as two guards held him down on the floor and another cracked an electric whip across his back. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the horrifying sight. The whip slashed open the man's back like a sharp knife slices open warm bread. Blood spilled out of the open wounds, and I could even see some of his spinal bones. I fought back the bile building in my throat, fearing that I was next. _

_A guard approached my cage and pointed a gun at me. A second guard opened the door to my cell and barked, "Let's go." Though they were both wearing masks, I knew they were looking at me in disgust. I sat up from the cot and slowly walked to the cell door. The guard with the gun readied himself to shoot me if I tried anything while the other ordered, "Hold out your wrists." While glaring at the guard with the gun, I held out my thin wrists and let the second guard cuff me. He grunted in annoyance and spat, "Shit! Need to use the smaller one. This slut's wrists are too damn tiny." He latched the larger ring onto his belt and grabber the smaller one. Usually, this one was used on children._

_The ring fit snugly around my wrists, making it impossible for me to move my hands much. With my hands bound, the first guard dug the tip of his blaster into my shoulder and growled, "Move it." I wished I had said something snide to that prick at the time, but I only obeyed and followed the guard who cuffed me. We walked down many hallways and past many cells, and during the long walk that asshole with a gun kept ramming the barrel of his blaster in my back. Let's just say that if I had to walk another minute, I would've killed that guy._

_Eventually, the guards brought me to an elevator and forced me to get in. They clicked the button for the palace throne room and before I knew it, we were shooting up countless stories to the top of the palace. You see, the prison was actually underneath the palace. The council thought that this made it more difficult for prisoners to escape. If you ask me, having a prison that close to the royal family was a stupid idea, but I guess that's our council's logic for you. When the elevator opened, I was dragged through a large set of doors and walked down a long red carpet to the base of the stairs that lead up to the throne. Looking up, I could see Kind Damas sitting there and looking down at me with interest._

_Commander Praxis stood beside him and glared down at me. Heh, now that I think about it, he hated me even before I turned from the guard…and I hated him more. Praxis was in charge of the guard at the time, and he was more corrupt than you think. He hated non-havenites and was the one who convinced the council to establish the immigrant laws. King Damas was often kept in the dark about Praxis's evil ways, so I held no ill-will against him. As for Praxis, however, I knew that this city would be better off without him._

_I could see his disgust for me clearly, not just from my prostitution, but from my race. Praxis looked me right in the face and growled, "State your name." I fought the temptation to roll my eyes. They already knew my name, so I cheekily answered, "Mary Poppins." I heard muffled laughter from the King and saw Praxis's face redden in anger. Praxis frowned at me and roared, "I gave you an order! State your name!" I decided to get a little bolder and teased, "Alright, I'm sorry…it's Santa Clause." The king's smirk grew a little in amusement, but Praxis just got madder and madder. He roared, "You think you're funny whore?! State your name before I come down there and-" _

"_Slow down buster," I laughed, "you're gonna have to buy me a drink first."_

_Praxis's eyes became wide with fury and he stomped sown the throne steps and over to me. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and spat in my face, "Listen here you mouthy little fag, I can make your life miserable with a twist of my finger." I glared right back at Praxis, my eyes showing no fear as I threatened, "And I can have you on your knees with a swipe of my foot." And I instantly made good on that threat._

_I'm not kidding when I say this…_

_I kicked Praxis in the balls._

_The guards holding me were on my ass within seconds, and Praxis fell to his knees…holding his family jewels. I learned a bit of self-defense from Comet, who just so happened to have multiple black belts in many forms of martial arts. I was a brown belt in Marauder Uechiryu, one level below a black belt, so I knew how to fight. I used my left leg to swipe out one guard's legs and did a very impressive roundhouse to the face of the other guard. As the guard fell, I snatched his gun with my bound hands and pointed it right at Praxis's head._

_Before I could blink, I had more red dots on me than a child with the yakow pox. I didn't care at that point though, I was more than ready to die and it would just be a bonus to take Praxis with me. With a finger on the trigger, I glared in malice at the man who caused the people of this city so much pain. I knew that I would never be able to kill him before the surrounding guards shot me, but I wanted to at least try. Closing my eyes and taking a breath, I prepared myself for the immense pain of a thousand bullets._

"_Enough!"_

_The strong voice of King Damas rang throughout the throne room, and I opened my eyes to see the king making his way down from his throne. I dropped the pistol and lowered my head in respect. Damas placed a hand on my boney shoulder and I felt a sudden calmness wash over me. "What's your name, son?" I heard him ask. Without lifting my head, I weakly answered, "Toralynn…but I usually go by Torn." I raised my head to look Damas in the eyes, and I saw him staring at me…with compassion. _

_This was the first time anyone's ever looked at me like that. My father looked on me with sadness, Rave looked with hope, and everyone else stared with disgust, lust, or pity. Damas was the first who actually showed me kindness and looked at not as a prostitute or Icelandic…but as a normal human being._

_It was the first time in my 18 years of life that I ever felt truly happy._

_Damas smiled and complimented, "Well, Torn, you're quite a fighter. You managed to best two guards and my commander…with handcuffs on. I think I would be a fool not to recruit you into the Krimson guard." Immediately, I pulled back and shook my head, "No thank you, your grace. I don't think I would be of any use to you." The look of confusion on the king's face made me feel guilty, especially when he asked, "How so? You're quite strong." I looked down and said, "Because…I'm an Icelandic. I'm a whore who's addicted to drugs, and I obviously have a respect issue. I'm not the ideal poster boy for the guard now am I?"_

_Then, I heard something I did not expect come out of the King's mouth. "See, that's where you're wrong." Damas smiled and continued, "I don't care about your race, unlike the council, and we can get you clean of drugs before you enter. I'm willing to get you the best medical treatment as well as a therapist if you wish. So what do you say?"_

_I still couldn't believe what I was hearing at the time. I had doubts in my mind about why exactly he was so adamant about recruiting me. I wasn't a trained soldier and I would most likely cause imbalance in the guard due to my ethnicity. I heard myself asking, "Why, of all people, are you doing this for me? ME?! I'm a drug-addicted prostitute who just beat up your guards and assaulted you commander! I'm not worth saving…but why are you treating me like this? Why do all this for me, when all I can offer you is an extra body in your army?!"_

"_Because you're special." _

_Damas looked down at me with all seriousness in his eyes, "The second you walked in here, I felt the precursors' strength in you. You have a power that is not yet unlocked, and I know that you were meant for greatness. The precursors have something planned for you. I'm not sure what it is, but I do know that this is the right decision. So therefore," He clasped my shoulders again with strong, callused hands that meant no harm towards me and finished, "will you fight for me? Will you let go of this past that holds you down and stand up for the other people like you? _

_Will you let go of your past…_

…_to embrace your future."_

* * *

BZZZZZZZZZZ

Torn felt his communicator suddenly vibrate in his pocket. He dug the device out and flipped it open; he cursed quietly when he saw who the caller was. Jak opened his mouth to ask who it was, but he was cut off when Torn answered and a very loud, nasally, obnoxious, male voice screeched out of the small machine.

" _TORNIE?! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LATE IT IS?! I'M HUNGRY DAMMIT!"_

Torn winced slightly and sighed, "Calm down dumbass, I told you there are leftovers in the freezer-"

"_I ALREADY ATE THOSE! I'M STILL HUNGRY! MAKE ME FOOOOOOOOOD!"_

Torn growled, "There are recipe books and ingredients right there, why can't you make food yourself?"

"_BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE YOUR FUCKING OVEN! GET OVER HERE AND FEED MEEEEEEE!"_

As the man on the phone started to whine in a high-pitched voice, Torn groaned in irritation. He growled, "Alright! Shut up already, I'm on my way!" He hung up immediately and sighed, "Sorry guys, we're going to have to pick this up tomorrow." Jak nodded and Daxter questioned, "Um…who was that?" Torn stood up and sighed in annoyance, "That, my dear friend, was my annoying twin brother, Anko." Jak's eyes widened slightly, "Whoa, you mean, from the story?" Daxter smiled widely, "Can we meet him?!"

"NO!" Torn immediately answered.

Jak pouted, "Aw Come on-"

"NO!"

Daxter whined, "Why not?"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT'S WHY!" Torn growled.

Jak crossed his arms and begged," Please Torn? I really want to hear the rest of the story…especially now that it involves my father. You're the only one here who knows about my past, and I didn't get to talk with Damas before he died. There are so many questions I need answered, and you're the only one who can answer them." Torn paused for a moment, and then sighed, "Damn it…I need to buy more food."

With a victory shout, the dynamic duo followed the Freedom League commander out of the bar and down the street. They headed in the cold, dark night to Torn's apartment, where a pissed red-head was waiting.

* * *

Surrie: WOO-HOO! Finally done! Well, I hope you guys enjoyed, and let me know if I should even bother with making a part 2 to this.

Torn: Please say no…please say no

Anko: SHUT UP! This is the first fanfiction I'm in where I'm NOT a bad guy! I want to see this continued! Besides…I have a bigger part in the second half….right Surrie?

Surrie: Um….sure. Anyway, Thank you guys so much for your patience with me. I promise I'll get to writing the next chapter of "The Darkness Inside Me", but please be patient.

**Leave a review, favorite the story, or just read it! But if you don't have anything nice to say, please kindly shut your piehole. It's not my fault if you're too stupid to read the description.**

**THANKS!**


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